Why was ABC’s Australian Epic retitled, delayed?

When it was announced in late 2021, the trailer for ABC’s Stories from Oz looked outrageously enticing.

After all, what’s not to love in a musical extravaganza about Pistol & Boo, Melbourne’s cursed ferris wheel, Schapelle Corby and the unlikely triumph of Steven Bradbury?

Showreel footage suggested the project by the Chaser’s Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen would be a 2022 highlight.

But fast forward by several months and the video was deleted by ABC’s YouTube account and the show failed to screen. The delays were beginning to drag on like the calamitous Melbourne wheel it was itself mocking….

It finally resurfaced last month retitled as Australian Epic, thankfully with some witty results from the creatives in a musical genre rarely entertained by Free to Air television.

ABC confirmed changes had indeed been made behind the scenes including a departure from the Norwegian format, Stories from Norway by Concorde TV, upon which it was based.

“The name was changed because it’s a different show. The producers were originally working with a Norwegian format, but decided to do their own take on the musical documentary genre,” an ABC spokesperson said.

TV Tonight understands feature interviews were subsequently filmed and incorporated into the series to distinguish it from the original format by Norway’s ‘Ylvis’ brothers Bård & Vegard Ylvisåker.

Producers Princess Pictures would not elaborate on the changes or reasons behind a nearly two year delay to screen.

“We were working with the Norwegians originally and then for various reasons which are confidential we were not and it took a while to sort that out,” said producer Laura Waters. “But we did sort it out and we have a show we’re really proud of and audiences are loving. In the end it wasn’t that convoluted, it just took time.”

Concorde TV has been contacted for comment.

Australian Epic in all its musical mayhem is now available on ABC iview.